Top 10 Canadian Basketball Player Rankings – 2017

The start of the 2015-2016 high school season is upon us.

The anticipation is high as many Canadians from the 2017 class have placed themselves in Canadian and American Preparatory programs while seeking a higher level of competition and development.

This class is a representation of Canada as a whole, outside of basketball. This beautiful country takes pride in its multiculturalism often, and the different origins are illustrated in the list below. Furthermore, this Top 10 list shows symmetry to the globalization of the game.

Depth, Skill, size, athleticism; this class has it all. 2017 carries a lot of versatility at different positions. Dive into the takes on this class from National Scouts Elias and Tariq Sbiet.

Elias’ Take on Numero Uno

The number one spot in the Canadian 2017 class is interchangeable at this time. We’ve watched Christian David, Abu Kigab and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in game action, practice environments and workouts over 20 times each, all have shown that they are simply scratching the surface. But in my opinion Christian has a slight edge over the other two gems.

All three carry high level intangibles that will help them accelerate their development this year in their respective new schools.

All three have been leaders for their respective high school team when they were in Canada and during the AAU season.

All three are lengthy, still growing into their bodies and can be used in different ways to suit a team’s needs.

All three have NCAA offers from the highest levels of college ball.

So, how do we separate them from one another in evaluation? Lets be clear, you can’t go wrong with any of these guys on your team. However, in my opinion, right Christian is the most complete, being able to play point guard, shooting guard, small forward, and if needed I’ll go as far as saying that he can defend some undersized power forwards.

The knock, or should I say misconception surrounding Christian is regarding his toughness or lack of competitive fire.

One, I don’t find this to be the case at all and two, the competition and coaching staff at Vermont Academy is sure to unleash a new element in his persona this season. His composure and calmness should be valued instead of being degraded.

Overall the athletic edge, nimble switch of direction/speed and versatile offensive arsenal make him a suitable #1 Canadian in the 2017 class.

 

 Tariq’s Take on the Top Spot

 

At this point, Nickeil Alexander-Walker is my top tog for the 2017 class, because I believe he will “win the game to infinity,” a line that I will borrow from Coach Dave Smart.

In other words, NAW is the kid that absolutely despises losing and loves to compete—a very rare attribute in youth today. Christian David lacks this level of fire to date, however I can say that he has made good strides over the last year. Skill sets are comparable, but Christian’s shooting stroke might be the purest–he is also more physically gifted than N. A. W–that said I’m confident Nickeil will get to where he needs to be physically in terms of explosiveness and strength due to his unparalleled work ethic and attention to detail.

I saw strong signs of maturity over the summer from Alexander-Walker, but he must continue to grow mentally and not let his emotions get the best of him. He can play either perimeter position, but at the point guard spot, elite level generals understand how to control games using their mind and I.Q. He’s on his way.

Then you have Mr Abu Kigab, a big time favourite of mine in this class due to his relentless desire to give everything he has. Kigab is a plus on the floor due to his intangibles, but where there is separation between he and the other two is skill set. This is an important year of development for him and we are looking forward to tracking his growth at Prolific Prep. If he can add a refined skill set to his heart and passion while slowing the game down, Kigab will be very scary for the opposition.

Overall, from what I’ve gathered over the summer, I’m confident to say N. A. W deserves the top spot. Previously, David and Kigab have held #1 for a year and are both still developing.

It will be fun to see what the three can show us next…they will all likely be playing high major basketball.

Skilled Size in Top 10

Arnaud Boyer-Cillis is the most recent entry to the Top 10. The Montreal big man is sure to reap havoc in the CEGEP league this year, standing at 6’9 with good feel and developing explosiveness.

Matur Maker’s upside is through the roof. His length, size and athleticism allow him to play multiple positions on both ends. He is in that stage of his development where he is looking to harness a skill set on the wing and high post. Work in progress.

Josip Vrankic is easily the most skilled big man in 2017. Over the course of the summer he picked up two new offers from Weber State and Columbia. We expect that his recruitment will sky rocker as he continues to build on strength and explosiveness.

Anthony Longpre is proven to connect from outside the 3 and top of the key with good percentages. Arguably the best big man shooter among these other lads, just needs to get stronger around the glass and attack with more force.

Forward, Then Press Play

Oshae Brissett has been awaiting his time at Findlay Prep. A ton of upside with this prospect as he’s shown signs of operating from the wing and creating his own offense. He wasn’t use to his strengths this past summer but will have an opportunity to flourish this year in Las Vegas.

Jerome Desrosiers has been a solid role piece for Coach John Carroll at Northfield Mount Hermon. His physical strength, energy and toughness allow him to crash boards and bang with some of the undersized forwards in their league.

This high IQ forward contributes in multiple statistical categories and is a pure team guy. We’ll be checking him out again early on at the National Prep Showcase in New Haven, Connecticut.

Jordan Henry Proven At All Levels

Jordan Henry has proven time and time again that size doesn’t matter. The Junior Men’s National Team picked him up this past summer where he gained valuable experience under Coach Roy Rana on an international stage.

His impact in games is seen through play making for teammates and scoring from every angle on the floor. Jordan continues to improve on his breakdown game and blow by ability.

 

• No Matches

Post-Secondary School coaches click below to learn.